The UN General Assembly will vote on Friday on a resolution to formally phase out the traditional Mercator map of the globe in favor of one that more accurately displays Africa’s size.
The resolution, sponsored by Togo and backed by the African Union’s 54 member states, calls for adopting the Equal Earth projection, a more accurate representation developed by an international team of cartographers in 2018.
“To those who say why now, I say, why not?” said Robert Dussey, Togo’s foreign affairs minister. “When we look at the world map, it is time for us to change the narrative.”
Why the Mercator Map Is Flawed
The Mercator projection, introduced by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569, was designed to help sailors navigate the seas. It remains the global standard nearly five centuries later.
But its projection style significantly distorts the size of landmasses. Regions near the equator appear much smaller than they are, while high-latitude areas look much larger. Africa, which is 14 times larger than Greenland, is depicted as being similar in size to the Danish territory.
“You could fit the United States, China, India, Japan, Mexico and much of Europe into Africa and still have land to spare,” says a Change.org petition for the #CorrectTheMap campaign, which has more than 11,000 signatures.
Historians and geographers have said for years that the Mercator projection is rooted in Western stereotypes. Activists have coined the term “cartographic colonialism,” arguing that the map has subtly shaped international power dynamics by minimizing the physical presence of the Global South.
The Equal Earth Alternative
The resolution promotes the use of the 2018 Equal Earth design, which supporters say will help reverse perceptions of Africa and decolonize global curricula. The map shows Africa’s true scale and is considered more scientifically accurate.
JJ Enoch, a London-based senior associate at JS Held, said the Mercator projection visually diminished Africa’s true scale. He linked the campaign to a quest by African nations for “greater influence in global institutions and greater control over how the continent is represented.”
“Adopting an equal-area map would provide a more accurate basis for education and public understanding,” he added.
The Path Forward
UN resolutions are non-enforceable, but if the vote passes, it could lead to updates in classroom curricula and everyday technology. Togo’s government is planning an event with UNESCO, the African Union, and tech brands such as Google Maps during the first quarter of next year to map out implementation.
The vote follows a successful African Union-backed resolution earlier this year, when a Ghana-sponsored resolution to describe the slave trade as the “gravest crime against humanity” passed with 123 votes in favor. Three states voted no and 52 abstained.
“It’s time for us in Africa to take responsibility to change what we can change ourselves,” Dussey said.
The Bottom Line
The UN General Assembly will vote on a resolution to phase out the Mercator map in favor of the Equal Earth projection, which more accurately displays Africa’s true size. The Togo-sponsored resolution is backed by the African Union. The Mercator map, introduced in 1569, distorts landmasses, making Africa appear similar in size to Greenland when it is actually 14 times larger. Supporters say the new map will help reverse perceptions of Africa and decolonize global curricula.
